Social media challenges

Teenagers - actually lighting themselves on fire...or holding their breath until they pass out...Now, fellow teenagers - youth pastors - and community leaders in Duval County are fighting back, trying to stop these so-called social media challenges.

LIVE FROM THE LOCAL STATION, NEWS 4 JAX STARTS NOW. TEENAGERS ACTUALLY LIGHTING THEMSELVES ON FIRE HOLDING THEIR BREATH UNTIL THEY PASS OUT. NOW FELLOW TEENAGERS, YOUTH PASTORS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS ARE FIGHTING BACK TRYING TO STOP THE SO-CALLED SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGES. WAS TRYING TO PUT IT OUT BUT WOULDN'T GO OUT SO WE HAD TO WAIT FOR THE WATER TO TURN ON. WHAT WE'RE SEEING WITH THESE CHALLENGES IS THAT SOMETHING'S GONE AWRY. SOMETHING'S WRONG. SEE WHAT COUNTY SCHOOLS ARE SET TO OPEN IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AND TONIGHT THERE'S A COMMUNITY WIDE EFFORT TO KEEP TEENAGERS FROM SERIOUSLY HURTING THEMSELVES. TROUBLED BY A SUMMER FILLED WITH YOUTUBE VIDEOS OF TEENS PUTTING THEIR LIVES AT RISK IN THE SO-CALLED FIRE K458 ENG AMONG OTHERS, AREA LEADERS TRYING PUT A STOP TO THEM ADRIENNE MOORE LIVE ON THE WEST BANK WITH WHAT THE COUNTY IS DOING. STARTING THIS FALL DUVAL COUNTY SCHOOLS WILL BE HOLDING SEMINARS FOR STUDENT THAT'S NOT ONLY TALK ABOUT THIS ISSUE BUT TO BECOME PART OF THE SOLUTION IN STOPPING IT. THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE THOUSANDS OF VIDEOS LIKE THESE ON YOUTUBE. THEY'RE EXAMPLES OF THE FIRE CHALLENGE WHERE TEENAGERS LIGHT THEMSELVES ON FIRE THEN POST THE VIDEOS APPARENTLY ALL FOR FUN. BUT FUN ISN'T THE WAY 14-YEAR-OLD TERRENCE HARDEN DESCRIBES IT. IT'S STUPIDITY. YOU THINK YOU ARE TRYING TO BE A FOLLOWER AND BLEND IN WITH THE REST OF YOUR PEERS AND IT'S NEAT A GOOD THING. OTHER TEENAGERS CAME FORWARD WITH STORIES OF THEIR OWN. HE SAYS HE ACTUALLY TRIED SOMETHING CALLED THE ICE CHALLENGE WHERE YOU PUT SALT ON YOUR BODY THEN RUB IT WITH AN ICE-CUBE. IT WAS KIND OF STUPID BUT IT WAS STUPID. IT REALLY DID BURN MY HANDS. OVER THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS WE'VE TOLD YOU ABOUT THE PASS OUT GAME WHERE TEENS HYPERVENTILATE OR ASPHYXIATE THEMSELVES OR SOMEONE ELSE FOR A EUPHORIC HIGH. OR THE CINNAMON CHALLENGE. WHERE TEENS TRY TO SWALLOW HEAPING TABLESPOONS OF CINNAMON WITHOUT WATER. AND MUCH LIKE THE FIRE CHALLENGE, OFTENTIMES THE RESULTS CAN BE DEADLY. AND COMMUNITY LEADERS INCLUDING SUPERINT SUPERINTENDENT SAY IT HAS TO STOP. WHAT WE'RE SEEING WITH THESE CHALLENGES IS SOMETHING'S GONE AWRY. SOMETHING'S WRONG. THAT IS AS A SCHOOL SYSTEM AND SUPERINTENDENT I CAN'T JUST SIT ON THE SIDE LINE AND SAY THAT'S A COMMUNITY ISSUE, A PARENT ISSUE. HE SAYS THIS FALL DUVALL SCHOOLS WILL HOLD SEMINARS WITH STUDENTS TO TALK ABOUT THESE CHALLENGES AND THEY'LL CONTINUE PARTNERING WITH LOCAL YOUTH PASTORS LIKE RUDOLPH McKISSIC JUNIOR. YEARS AGO WHEN THE DRUG PROBLEM WAS RAMPANT IN THIS CITY THEY HAD A CAMPAIGN CALLED JUST SAY NO. THEY HAD BUTTONS JUST SAY NO. AND THAT WAS THE BIG THING NOW. JUST SAY NO NEEDS TO BE ABOUT THESE CHALLENGES. AND BETHEL BAPTIST CHURCH WILL BE HOLDING A SPECIAL EVENT TO GO OVER SOME OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA PRESSURES. IT'S GOING TO BE HELD NEXT FRIDAY AT 7:00 P.M. IF YOU'D LIKE MORE INFORMATION

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